New Delhi: Railways has requested its employees and contractual staffers to avail benefits under the government’s flagship insurance schemes, saying they were of national importance.

Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani asked the zonal general managers to encourage their employees as well as the contractual staffers to avail the benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Beema Yojana (PMSBY) and the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Beema Yojana (PMJJBY).

In a letter dated August 2, Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani asked the zonal general managers to encourage their employees as well as the contractual staffers to avail the benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Beema Yojana (PMSBY) and the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Beema Yojana (PMJJBY).

“As these schemes are of national importance, we should encourage our employees and also contractual workers to join the schemes and avail benefits,” Lohani said, adding a nodal officer each has been nominated for this purpose.

In the letter, he said that the zones should “strive to ensure maximum possible coverage” of on-board housekeeping staff, cleaning, catering and other labour intensive contracts under the above schemes.

This was decided after a meeting with the secretary, financial services, Government of India on July 31, officials said.

Railways has around 13 lakh employees and more than 90,000 contractual workers.

At present, 5.3 crore people are insured under the PMJJBY, which offers a renewable one-year term life cover of Rs 2 lakh for an annual premium of Rs 330. There are around 13 crore people insured under the PMSBY, which is an accident death-cum-disability cover of Rs 2 lakh for an annual premium of Rs 12.

Lohani further asked the zonal railways to nominate a nodal officer in every zone to coordinate with service providers and other stakeholders for ‘maximum possible coverage.